WASHINGTONT, CHURCH 



A N 

MlO 1 ORICj^iL SK£TCH. 

OF 

OLD CHRIST CHURCH, 

, ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. 

TOGETHER AMTM 

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE 

CENTENARY SERVICES THEREIN, 

November 20 and 21st, 1873. 



AliKXANDltfA, VIRGINIA : 
AND SOLD FOR REPAIRS 1 

===== sees,. — 



WASHINGTON'S CHURCH. 




A N 




HISTORICAL SKETCH 

OF 




OLD CHRIST CHURCH, 




ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, 




TOGETHER WITH 

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE 




CENTENARY SERVICES THEREIN, 

November 20 and 2ist, 1873. 

» 3 » J 3 >)1 5 J.))j 1), a 3 I 3 ■* 
J 3 3 3 • > 3 ^ 3 5)351 5 




ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA: 
PUBLISHED AND SOLD FOR REPAIRS TO THE CHURCH. 
1886. 





t 

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. 



H N OFFERING the following pages to the public it is proper to 
!p give a brief outline of the character of the religious services which 
''f celebrated the Centennial Anniversary of our Church. 

At an early hour on the evening of Thursday, the 20th of Nov- 
ember, 1873, a large congregation had assembled, eager to witness 
the interesting ceremonies. Many may indeed have been drawn by 
no higher motive than curiosity; but the hearts even of these must 
have been solemnized by the chaste, beautiful and suggestive deco- 
ration which decked those venerable walls. 

Appropriate texts from God's Holy Word met the eye on every 
side, telling us we were no idle spectators of a drama, but actors in 
a living present, linked with those scenes which have no " dead past," 
and whose future stretches on to the Throne of the Great Eternal. 
On the north wall of the Church we read, in letters of living green, 
" Remember all the way the Lord thy God hath led thee," 
words which gave to our Centenary the sanction of a divine com- 
mand. High above the Chancel grateful hearts had raised an 
" Ebenezer," and written in strong relief, " Hitherto hath the 
Lord helped us;" a devout and loyal recognition of the loving 
kindness of a century. And as past mercies are a pledge of future 
good, Faith had written on the southern wall, " She shall still 
bring forth fruit in old age;" while over the gates of our Sanc- 
tuary rose the aspiration of every heart, " Peace be within thy 
walls." Over the mural tablet of Washington, on the north of the 
Chancel, was the text, " The law of his God was in his heart," 
and beneath, the words, " Elected vestryman of this parish, 
A. D. 1765," while the marble itself was adorned with a wreath 
and cross of pure white flowers. On the south over Lee's tablet, 
" Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright ;" underneath, 
"Confirmed in this Church, A. D. 1853." On this too was 
placed, as a tribute to his great leader, from one of his surviving 
soldiers, a floral wreath and anchor. Three gothic arches, covered 
with evergreens, formed a perspective in the Chancel, the centre 



4 OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 

one surmounted by a cross, three feet high, of flowers of God's 
creation. From this centre arch were suspended the words in large 
text, "CHRIST CHURCH." From either side arch, the dates 
1773 ( Old English ) and 1873 ( Modern ), all formed with evergreens 
and white flowers. Above "Christ Church," in the centre arch, 
was a gas star, and below, just above the Communion Table, in let- 
ters of shining white, Earth's purest emblem of that purer robe we 
are to wear at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the old, familiar 
words, " Angels, and living saints and dead, but one Commu- 
ion make." The Bible and Prayer Book of olden times were used 
on this occasion ; the former once Washington's, and presented to 
the Church by G. W. P. Custis, Esq., of Arlington, in 1804. On 
the table were the old Parish Registers, dating back to 1765, and 
copies of the " Contract for Building the Church," and of "The Act 
of Consecration." The full Evening Service was read ; the lessons 
being selected from Deut. iv. 1-10, 25-40, and Hebrews xi. 

After the hymn, "I love Thy Church, O God," the Rector read 
the following " Historical Sketch." 

The Rev. Philip Slaughter was then introduced, who celebrated 
the old Church and its worthies in verse, which we will not trust 
ourselves to characterize further than to say that it was to the full 
worthy of its high theme. We will only add that the recital of the 
poem electrified the crowded congregation and kindled an enthu- 
siasm which was with difficulty restrained by the sacredness of the 
place.* 

The services of the first evening closed with the hymn, " Lo, 
what a cloud of witnesses, etc." Nor must we omit our tribute to 
the beautiful music which made another charming feature of the 
occasion. 

But what word painting can give an idea of the second evening, 
when the Holy Communion was administered, and many, who for 
years had been separated, joined voice and soul in the service for 
"All Saints' Day." Children of the Church, whose paths in life had 
led them far apart, met together once more, to kneel at their 
Father's Board. 

Even a more densely crowded attendance than the previous night 
marked the increased interest. The services were in full harmony 
with the occasion, beginning with the hymn, " O Paradise, O Para- 
dise." Then the Ante-Communion Service was read, and the hymn, 
" Hark! the sound of holy voices." 

* We regret our inability to present this beautiful poem to the public. Neither 
the official request of the Vestry nor the most earnest private solicitations have been 
able to overcome the author's too modest estimate of its merit. 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 5 

The Rector struck the key note of the rich prelude to the service 
by quoting, " Angels, and living saints, etc.," which vibrated 
through all hearts and tuned them to unison, as chord after chord 
was touched, waking sweetest memories, highest resolves, purest 
hopes. He was followed by Rev. Cornelius Walker, D. D., ( a 
former Rector) and Rev. Philip Slaughter, each leading our thoughts 
from the Communion of the Church below to that time of Christ's 
own promise, when in our Father's Kingdom we shall drink anew 
of the fruit of the vine.. This deeply impressive service influenced 
all present. The large congregation remained through the entire 
Communion. An unusual stillness reigned and it was observed that 
many, after communicating, seemed to forget to rise from the Chan- 
cel rail — so absorbed were they by the holy memories and medita- 
tions of the occasion. 

It seemed most fitting that the services of the following Sunday 
should catch the sweet echo of that glad time, and that as we crossed 
the boundary of another century we we should hear the words of 
the Lord, " Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward."* 



*This was the text of the sermon preached the following Sunday by the Rector, that 
day marking the close of the sixth year of his Pastorate of this Church. 




OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 



HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 



BY THE RECTOR, REV. RANDOLPH H. McKIM. 



"Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy 
God led thee." — Deut. vhi. 2. 



jOK E ARE here to-night, my brethren, to celebrate the 100th 
(Oyjl Anniversary of the day when these venerable walls were 
I married to the services of our Holy Religion. We gather 
like children and grandchildren around their aged mother to com- 
memorate her wedding day, to place affection's crown upon her 
dear old brow, and to invoke Heaven's choicest blessing upon her 
declining years. 

The Present is ever the daughter of the Past, and therefore, there 
is something of the sacredness of a filial affection in the instinct 
which prompts us to do honor to ancient buildings and relics of 
the past. And although we have here no "massive walls whose 
date o'erawes tradition," nor ancient minster, which claims and holds 
the sacred dust of kings, heroes and sages of the olden time, yet is 
this sacred building, (simple and unadorned in its architecture, a 
building of yesterday by comparison with the cathedrals and abbeys 
and castles of the old world,) possessed of a history truly illustrious 
and which well deserves commemoration, But we are here not 
merely to gratify an instinct, however sacred, nor to indulge a sen- 
timent, however hallowed, but to sit at the feet of the Past, as it is 
represented and embodied in this sacred edifice, and listen to the 
lessons it may teach. "'Tis greatly wise," says the poet, "to talk 
with our past years ; " and a greater than Young has said, by inspired . 
authority, "Ask now of the days that are past." It is this which we 
wish now to do — to listen to the story of a century — to remember 
all the way which the Lord our God hath led us, and our fathers, 
in this Holy Place, for an hundred years. It may be that contact 
with the past will quicken our souls to a new life for God, new grat- 
itude for His goodness, new zeal in His service, even as the dead 
man revived when his body touched the bones of the prophet. 



8 OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 

On such an occasion it would be proper that " Days should speak 
and multidude of years" declare the story of the past: but it falls 
to my lot, as Rector of this Church, to endeavor, as best I may, to 
sketch its history this evening. If I can gather but a few of the 
ripe lessons which cluster thick about these venerable walls we shall 
not have met here in vain to-night. 

On the first day of February, 1765, by virture of an act passed 
the previous year, (being the 4th, George III,) the Parish of Fair- ! 
fax was created out of a portion of the Parish of Truro. On the 
28th of March, the same year, a vestry was chosen, consisting of 
twelve gentlemen, one of whom was Col. George Washington, 
then just thirty-three years of age. His name stands fifth on the 
list, he receiving two hundred and seventy-four votes; while John 
West receives three hundred and forty, Chas. Alexander three hun- 
dred and nine, William Payne three hundred and four, and John 
Dalton two hundred and eighty-one.* It appears thus that the 
Parish organization dates back one hundred and eight years, and it 
further appears from the records that there were two churches then 
in the Parish, doubtless of a very early date. The one at the Falls, 
known as " Falls Church," and the other at Alexandria, known as 
"The Lower Church."! The exact situation of the latter building 
is unknown, but it appears quite certain that it did not occupy the 
site of the present edifice. If tradition can be relied on, the Church, 
at the Falls was the Parish Church, and the one at this place " The 
Chapel of Ease." The respective dignity of the two churches is 
indicated by the comparative emoluments of the office of sexton in 
the same; for, in the year 1766, Gerrard Tramill, sexton at the 
Falls Church, receives a salary of five hundred and sixty pounds of 
tobacco, while John Rhodes, sexton at Alexandria, receives only 
five hundred pounds of the same article ! 

That the Chapel at Alexandria was neither a very elegant nor a 
very substantial structure may be inferred from the fact that, upon 
the completion of the new Church at the Falls, the old structure at 
that place was sold by the Vestry for £y 10s. 



* The first record in the Vestry book bears date August 26, 1765, and Washington's 
name is not on the list of Vestrymen. Probably he found it more convenient or 
deemed it more important to act as Vestryman for Truro Parish, to which he was elect- 
ed the same year, and so " may have" resigned his place in the Vestry of Fairfax, 



f Through the kindness of the Century Co.. we are able to insert a wood cut of 
Old Pohick Church, which, being nearer to Mt. Vernon, enjoyed more of Washington's 
fostering care than even Christ Church, Alexandria. The two churches are twin 
sisters ; of each Washington was elected Testryman ; in each he was a frequent 
worshipper. It is said that Old Pohick, then a ruin, suggested Bishop Coxe's ballad, 
" Old Churches." At the request of a friend we append a verse or two : 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 



9 



The need for larger and better church buildings had now become 
apparent, and accordingly, in the month of November, 1766, the 
Vestry ordered a levy to be made upon the inhabitants of the Parish, 
of thirty-one thousand one hundred and eighty-five pounds of tobacco, 
for the purpose of building two new churches, one at the Falls, the 
other at Alexandria. In January, 1767, James Parsons agrees to 
build the latter Church for six hundred pounds sterling, according 
to contract, which for quaintness might be placed among the curi- 
osities of literature, and for minuteness of specification might furnish 
a model for modern building committees.* 

The architect bore the illustrious name of Wren, but truth requires 
us to state that it was not the great Sir Christopher, who had been 
laid to rest in the crypt of St. Paul's half a century before, but 



" And didst mark, in thy journey, at dew-dropping eve, 

Some ruin peep high o'er thy way 
With rooks wheeling round it, and hushes to weave 

A mantle for turret so gi~ay? 
Did ye ask if some lord of the cavalier kind 

Lived there when the country was young? 
And burned not the blood of a Christian to find 

How there the old prayer-bell had rung. 

" And did ye not glow, when they told ye the Lord 

Had dwelt in that thistle-grown pile ; 
And that bones of old Christians were under its sward, 

That once had knelt down in its aisle? 
And had ye no tear-drops your blushes to steep, 

When ye thought o'er your country so broad 
The bard seeks in vain for a mouldering heep, 

Save only these churches of God? 

" ye that shall pass by those ruins again, 

Go kneel in their alleys and pi ay, 
And not till their arches have echoed Ameu, 

Rise up and fare on in your way; 
Pray God that those aisles may be crowded once more, 

Those altars surrounded and spread, 
While anthems and prayers are upsent as of yore, 

As they take of the wine cup and bread. 

" Ay, pray on thy kuees that each old rural fane 

They have left to the bat and the mole, 
May sound with the loud pealiug organ agaiu, 

And the full swelling voice of the soul. 
Peradventure, when next thou shalt journey thereby, 

Even-bells shall ring out on the air, 
And the dim lighted windows reveal to thine eye 

The snowy-robed pastor at prayer." 



*The shingles were to be of the best juniper, f inch thick, 18 inches long, and to 
show 6 inches ; the mortar for the outside of the wall to be two-thirds lime and one- 
third sand ; for the inside one-half lime and one-half sand. The arches and pediments 
to be in the Tuscan order ; the altar piece, pulpit and canopy in the Ionic order. 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 




OLD CHRIST CHURCH. u 

James Wren, gentleman. We are not prepared, however, to combat 
the theory that the architect of St. Paul's Cathedral and of Christ 
Church may have been near relations ! 

Contractors an hundred years ago would seem to have been men 
of like fallibility with those of the present day. So, at least, it hap- 
pened in this instance. For, in 1772, James Parsons having failed to 
finish the Church, the Vestry made agreement with Col. John Carlyle 
to complete the same for the additional sum of £220; and on the 27th 
day of February, 1773, the building is formally delivered over to 
the Vestry, and by them pronounced completed " in a workmanlike 
manner." On the same day, ten of the pews being offered for sale, 
Col. George Washington becomes the purchaser of pew No. 5, for 
the sum of £36 10s. — the highest price paid.* 

It is then one hundred and six years since the foundation of this 
venerable building was laid; and one hundred years since it was 
actually completed and occupied for the worship of Almighty God. 

Its history naturally divides itself into two epochs, the first exten- 
ding from 27th of February, 1773, to 28th of March, 1785, when the 
first Vestry was elected under the act incorporating the Protestant 
Episcopal Church; the second, including the period from that event 
to the present time. 



I — The First Epoch 

Carries us back to a time when the Episcopal Church was the 
established church of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and subject to 
the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London. Accordingly the Vestry 
elect were required to subscribe to be "conformable to the doctrine 
and discipline of the Church of England, as by law established." 

In consequence of this relation between the Church and the State, 
the functions of the Vestry extended to a variety of matters of a 
strictly civil nature. By their puissant degree the tithe collector 
went forth to levy upon every land owner in the Parish. Under 
their authority the " processioners" surveyed and established all land 
boundaries. To the Church Wardens it pertained to bind appren- 



*The dimensions originally proposed ( 40 x 60 ft. ) were enlarged ( to 50 x 60 ft. ) to 
admit of .ten additional pews, which were accordingly sold to meet the increased ex- 
penditure. The remaining forty were doubtless, as in the case of Falls Church, 
" allotted to the Parishioners according to dignity." 



12 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 



tices to their masters — record of the indentures being duly made in 
the Vestry Book. To them were paid the fines for the violation of 
sundry penal statutes. Thus, in 1775, we find the following entry 
in the proceedings of the Vestry: "By cash received of Mr. Wm. 
Adams, for the several fines for deer killing out of season, delivered 
to him by Mr. Bryan Fairfax, £2 10s.," and in 1778, the following: 



Upon the Vestry also devolved the Relief of the poor, the medical 
care of the sick, the charges for the burial of the dead, the mainte- 
nance of the blind, the lame, the maimed ; also of foundlings and 
vagrants, and it is but just to add that the trust seems to have been 
conscientiously and faithfully discharged by the several Vestries of 
the Parish, and the tithes of the people as freely used for these 
charitable purposes as for the maintenance of religion. One of the 
charges in the year 1770 is worth recording: "To Townsend Dade, 
for sitting a poor man over the ferry, twenty-four pounds tobacco." 

The following indicates commendable caution on the part of the 
Vestry in incurring expenses for medical attendance, and at the same 
time confidence on the part of the physician employed: "Dr. Robt. 
Lindsay undertakes for to make a cure of Wm. Graham, at 100 p. ct. 
on his medicines, each portion at four pounds." 

The accounts of the Vestry during the year 1779 afford a curious 
illustration of the high prices which prevailed during the Revolu- 
tionary War. Thus an account is rendered "for cloth for the poor 
at sterling per yard; for linen for the same purpose at £1 4s. 
per yard; for 1 pair of shoes, £6 ; for broadcloth, £g per yard ; for 
two bottles wine and bread for the communion, £6 18s." 

In 1780 prices ruled still higher, thus: "One pair stockings for 
a pensioner, £12 ; 6 yards linen, £63." 

We will tax your patience with but one more entry from these 
ancient cash accounts. We introduce it for the purpose of showing 
that still another illustrious name, hitherto strangely overlooked, 
must be added to the roll of honor of this venerable Church. In 
the year 1784 the Parish of Fairfax is " Dr. to William Shakespeare 
fer keeping a poore child, ;£8oo." 

We felt it a sufficient reward for weary hours spent in perusing 
the dry and musty pages of the old Vestry Book to have made the 
discovery that this venerable Parish numbered a William Shake- 
speare among its worthies ! To antiquarians more deeply versed 
than ourselves we leave the task of deciding whether any collateral 



By Lawrence Monroe, for gaming. 
11 Thos. Lewis, for hunting on Sabbath. 
" John Lewis, " " " " 



£ s. d. 
2 10 

5 
5 0" 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 13 

relationship existed between the Bard of Avon and his namesake of 
the Potomac. We will only express our conviction that no conclu- 
sion prejudicial to our Shakespeare's genius can justly be drawn from 
the absence of any reference to the subject in the Vestry Book. 
That ancient record moves on, its stiff and stately course unaffected 
by the changes and convulsions of a century; neither the Revolu- 
tionary War, nor the several wars of the present century, disturb 
for a moment its even flow, nor reflect so much as a passing shadow 
in its dull surface. It could not, then, be expected that it should 
deviate from its course in order to catch up and carry down to pos- 
terity the evidences of a poet's genius. 

Twenty-seven gentlemen discharged the duties of Vestrymen from 
1765 to 1784. Let me call the roll : 

Elected in 1765, John West, William Payne, jr., Thomas Wren, 
William Adams, John Dalton, Edward Duling, Richard Sanford, 
Daniel French, Thomas Shaw, Townsend Dade, Charles Broadwater, 
Edward Blackburn. In 1766, James Wren. In 1767, Henry Gun- 
nell. In 1776, Henry Dame, Richard Chichester, Thomas Triplett. 
In 1777,* Charles Alexander, Pressly Cox, Richard Conway, John 
Hunter. In 1778, George Chapman. In 1780, William Herbert, 
John Parke Custis. In 178 1, Robert T. Hooe. In 1783, William 
Brown, George Gilpin. 

The first minister of this Church was Rev. Townsend Dade. 
He was ordained by the Bishop of London, and on December 30th, 
1765, having produced his credentials, was received as the Incum- 
bent. His salary was seventeen thousand two hundred and eighty 
pounds of tobacco, to which two thousand five hundred pounds were 
added for the deficiency of a glebe ! In 1770 a tract of above five 
hundred acres was purchased, from one Daniel Jennings, at 15 shill- 
ings per acre, and upon this, in 1773, the Vestry caused to be erected 
a glebe ho7ise, or parsonage, with dairy, meat house, barn, stable and 
corn house, for the sum of ^653. It would be thought that a glebe 
house and farm thus provided was sufficiently complete, but, in 
1777, it was discovered that one thing yet was needed — a hen house ! 
And forthwith a hen house was ordered, to be 16 ft. by 10 ft. of 
hewn logs, to have "two ballard doors," with a partition through 
the middle.f 

Touching the character of Mr. Dade, and his efficiency as a min- 



*John Muir elected, but declines. 

fA minute on the Vestry Book, at this period, establishes the fact that the surplice 
was used-in Virginia as early as 1114. It is as follows: "Ordered that the Church 
Wardens purchase as much linen as will be necessary to make two surplices, and have 
them made.' ; 



i 4 OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 



ister, nothing favorable has come down to us. It terminated at the 
request of the Vestry, in June, 1778. 

Rev. Spence Grayson now made application to be received as 
the minister of the Parish, but the Rev. Mr. West, probably from 
Maryland, was elected. He was a man of high character and univer- 
sally respected. He took charge December 1st, 1778, but resigned 
the following February, whereupon Rev. David Griffith was 
immediately elected. 

And what manner of man was David Griffith ? Born in the State 
of New York, educated partly there and partly in England, he pre- 
pared himself for the medical profession, and, having taken his degree 
in London, spent several years in the practice of the healing art in 
the interior of his native State. His mind, however, turning to the 
ministry of the everlasting Gospel, he again crossed the ocean, was 
ordained in London, A. D. 1770, by Bishop Terrick, returned to 
America, and, after a brief service as a missionary, in Gloucester 
County, New Jersey, was installed as Rector of Shelbourne Parish, 
Loudoun County, Virginia, A. D. 177 1 . Here he continued till the 
year 1776, when he went forth to share the hardships and dangers 
of the camp and battle-field as Chaplain of the Third Virginia Reg- 
iment. 

" He is represented," says Bishop Meade, to whom I am indebted 
for the foregoing facts, " as a man of good size and appearance, and 
pleasing manners, and as enjoying the confidence of Washington and 
the Army. Tradition says that, on the night before the battle of 
Monmouth, he sought an interview with General Washington, and, 
in the presence of his aids, bade him beware of General Charles Lee, 
though he was not at liberty to give his reasons or authority." — Old 
Churches, &c, Vol. ri, page 26 j. 

That a clergyman so thoroughly identified with the Revolution as 
Dr. Griffith should have been unanimously chosen to be their Rector 
shows that the Vestry and Congregation of this Church were in 
hearty sympathy with the patriotic cause, and adds another inciden- 
tal proof in refutation of the slander so loudly proclaimed of late, in 
certain quarters, that the Episcopal Church was hostile to the inde- 
pendence of the thirteen colonies.* 



*Tkat many of the clergy, who, as Englishman were naturally prejudiced in favor 
of the Mother Country, were tories, is unquestionably true ; but that the Episcopal 
Church, as such, was disloyal to the Patriot Cause, can never be substantiated while 
the names of Patrick Henry, James Madison, George Mason, George Washington, and 
their distingushed compatriots survive. The leaders in battle, and in council, in speech 
and in action, so far as Virginia was concerned, were, almost to a man, Episcopalians. 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 15 

Dr. Griffith exercised his ministry with fidelity in this Parish, 
preaching- both here and at Falls Church, from 1780 to 1789. 

"During the greater part of this time General Washington was 
his parishioner, and Mr. Griffith was a welcome visitor at Mount 
Vernon." After the close of the war, in those days of darkness and 
distress for the church in Virginia, Dr. Griffith was her firm, un- 
flinching, and able champion. Let it be added that he was equally 
zealous in advocating measures of reform for both clergy and people. 
To him belongs the honor of being the first to propose a convention 
of the Church in Virginia. He was also the first Bishop elect of 
this Diocese, but owing to the depressed state of the Church, the 
funds necessary to defray the expenses of his voyage to England for 
consecration were not raised! He died at the house of Bishop 
White, in Philadelphia, while in attendance upon the General Con- 
vention, in the year 1789. 

Before closing this part of our Record let us endeavor to picture 
to ourselves the appearance of things in this venerable edifice on a 
Sunday morning, say in the year 1776. The Church of that pic- 
ture must stand, not as now, surrounded by clustering rows of dwell- 
ings, but isolated, amidst an extensive growth of forest trees. It 
must have no steeple, like that which now# lifts its head above the 
tree-tops, seen like a beacon from afar, nor must its worshippers 
tarry the silver tones of the bell which now summons us hither. Its 
interior aspect also must be greatly changed. These capacious 
galleries must disappear ; these seventy-two pews must give place to 
fifty of a very different style : stiff, square, and high — effectually 
preventing the occupants from unprofitably gazing at each other 
when they should be attending to their devotions, but, unhappily, 
affording great facilities to those disposed to nod during the sermon 
to gratify their wish without detection by their brethren in other 
pews — though the sleeper could hardly expect to escape the eye of 
the minister, ( supposing that gentlemen to lift his eye occasionally 
from his manuscript,) from his lofty station beneath the sounding 
board in the high old pulpit. Such is the Church of 1776. But 
how shall we picture the congregation which Susannah Edwards, 
the sexton, ushers up those tile-paved " isles" to the seats allotted 
to each "according to dignity!" 

We should have to fill this Church with families few of which are 
represented here to night. Mrs. William Payne would doubtless be 
here in her special seat, "upon the upper platform," provided at her 
husband's expense, with the consent of the Vestry, in consideration, 
no doubt, of her deafness ! Colonel Washington, so scrupulous al- 
ways in attending the services of the Sanctuary, would be in his accus- 
tomed seat in yonder pew. And there, two, would be the Wests, 



1 6 OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 

and the Muirs, the Flemings, the Carlyles, the Custises, the Ramsays, 
the Daltons, the Alexanders, the Adamses, the Wrens, the Herberts, 
the Paynes, the Dulings, the Sanfords, the Frenches, the Shaws, 
the Broadwaters, the Blackburns, the Darnes, the Gunnells, the 
Chichesters, the Tripletts, the Coxes, the Browns, the Gilpins, and 
the Hooes. But when we have called their names we have done all 
we can do. Their antique dress, their manners, their countenances, 
their characters — this, and much more, we have no means of de- 
scribing, and so must leave our picture incomplete and pass on to 
the second period of our record. 



II — Second Epoch. — March, 1785-1873. 

The close of the Revolutionary War, and the passage of the act 
incorporating the Protestant Episcopal Church, in 1784, introduce 
us to a new phase of the history of this Parish. The civil functions 
of the Vestry have ceased, and henceforth the record-book is no 
longer burdened with lists of civil contracts entered into by the 
Church Wardens, or with long entries of moneys, ( or rather of 
tobacco ), expended for eleemosynary purposes. The Church has 
been disestablished, and henceforth there is no more mention of 
levies ordered, or tithes paid, or to be collected by distress warrant. 
From this time the services of religion are to be maintained by the 
voluntary offerings of the people. 

It is interesting to note that the first person to set an example of 
liberality for the support of the Church was George Washington. 
A formal document appears upon the Vestry Book, in which he and 
seven other gentlemen agree that the pews owned by them, " in the 
Episcopal Church at Alexandria," shall be forever charged with an 
annual rental of 5 pounds sterling. His well known signature is 
appended — it is the only instance in which it appears in the book. 
It must have been largely owing to his example, in connection with 
the popularity, and zeal, and ability of Rev. Dr. Griffith, that we find 
this Parish nourishing and growing at a period when the Church 
generally was in a lamentably depressed condition. In the year 
1787 it was found necessary to erect galleries to accommodate the 
congregation, and the twenty-four pews there are quickly disposed of. 

Dr. Griffith was succeeded, in 1790, by Rev. Bryan Fairfax, 
who was formerly a Vestryman and Delegate to the Convention. 
He was ordained by Bishop Seabury, in 1786. It was he who en- 
deavored to dissuade his friend and neighbor, General Washington, 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 17 

from the war with England ; but owing to his prudence and great 
worth, he continued, to the last, to enjoy the confidence and esteem 
of Washington and . of the patriots who directed the affairs of Fairfax 
! Parish. Nothing has come down to us concerning his preaching, 
j but that his sentiments were evangelical is evinced by his selecting 
such a man as Rev. Bernard Page to be his assistant. His ministry 
was a brief one, but he seems to have impressed his congregation 
with a very cordial sense of his zeal and piety. The Vestry, in de- 
claring their regret of his resignation, make especial mention of his 
" uncommon disinterested conduct" in assigning the moneys due to 
him for pew rents to the Vestry, to be by them disposed of for the 
purposes of the churches he lately had under his care. 

He was succeeded, in 1792, by the Rev. Thomas Davis, whose 
ministry was prolonged to fourteen years. 

Bishop Meade does not speak favorably of him, but it ought to 
be stated that when he announced his purpose to remove from the 
! Parish, the Vestry, " on behalf of themselves and the congregation," 
! presented "their warmest acknowledgements for his able and ex- 
| emplary exertions in the cause of religion," and assure him that "he 
carries with him the affections and good wishes of his late congre- 
gation." His wife sleeps yonder in the church-yard. 

The old record enables us to give a picture of the congregation as 
it was in the year 1803, during the ministry of Rev. Mr. Davis just 
70 years ago. There were 31 pews below stairs and 16 in the gal- 
leries, ( all square ). If we could have looked in on the congregation 
assembled here some bright Sunday 70 years ago, we should have 

j seen the pews on the north of that north aisle occupied by the Atkin- 
sons, the McLeans, the Gillieses, the Davises, the Jamessons, the 
Dades, the Alexanders, the Reileys, the Denneys, the Powells, the 
Kerns, the Harrisons, the Lyles, the Roses, the McKinneys, the 
Robertses; on the south side of the same aisle, we should have seen 
the Halls, the Wilsons, the Pottses, the Hodgsons, the Williamses, 
the Fitzhughs, the Pattons, the Coelres, the Bousals, and the W 7 attses ; 

j on the north side of the south aisle, the Fendalls, the Fitzhughes, 
the Herberts, the Diblois, the Winterberrys, and the Buttses ; on the 
south side of the south aisle, the Taylors, the Chapins, the Tuckers, 

! the Daingerfields, the Douglasses, the Lawrasons, the Dades, the Sla- 

j cums, the Mandevilles, the Deneales, the Robertses, the Newtons, 
the Gadsbys, the Reslers, and the Ways. 

Raising our eyes to the north gallery, we should have seen the 
j Muncasters, the Keiths, the Heiskells, the Craiks, the Swanns, the 
j Simms, the Hooffs, the Marstellers, and the Girds ; and in the south 
gallery, the Thompsons, the Robertses, Nicholls, the Hooes, the 



1 8 OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 

Lees, the Conways, the Gilpins, and the Dulanys : — in all sixty-five 
families. 

What changes have taken place, even in a conservative communi- 
ty like this, in the space of three score years and ten ! Not only 
has the congregation that gathered under this roof then passed away, 
but the families themselves have most of them disappeared from 
amongst us ! We have called over the roll of sixty-five house-holds, 
and but nine are here to-night to answer to their names as members 
of the congregation of 1873 ! 

Before resuming our notices of the Rectors of the Church we will 
enumerate some items, which may be interesting to some of you, in 
the order of their occurrence : 

In 1804, George Washington Parke Custis, Esq., presented to 
the Parish a Bible, published in 1772, formerly the property of 
General Washington. 

In 1805, the " The Star Fire Co." obtained permission to erect 
their engine house, which now stands on the southeast corner of 
the Church Lot. Since removed. 

In 1807, immediately after Rev. Mr. Gibson took charge of the 
Church, it is ordered "that the Church Wardens procure a surplice 
for the use of this Church." 

In 1808 the new Burial Ground is purchased and laid off, and the 
following year it is ordered that interments shall cease in the Church 
Yard. However, in 18 1 5, Peter Wise asks and obtains permission 
to be interred in the Church Yard, beside his deceased wife, " when 
occasion shall require!" Having relaxed the rule in deference to 
conjugal affection, the Vestry could not resist the appeal of public 
gratitude; accordingly, in 1840, the remains of Charles Bennett 
are interred on the spot now marked by his monument. 

In 1809 an order is passed for the alteration of the "altar" — also 
a contract for a new roof, which was again renewed in 1845. 

In 1 8 10 the organ was introduced. In this year Mrs. Cook's 
name first appears as sexton. She filled the office till 1 821, when 
she was retired on an annuity. Her peculiar dress and physiogno- 
my ; her stately manner of ushering persons into their pews and 
locking the doors upon them; and the almost military air with which 
she patrolled the aisles, alert to detect and prompt to suppress any 
violations of order, are familiar to some of you. 

Various changes have been made from time to time in the Church 
besides those already mentioned. Thus, in 181 1, the west aisle was 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 19 

added. It is doubtful whether the Church was warmed previous to 
18 1 2, when the chimneys were erected. 

In 1 8 16 and 18 17 some of the old square pews were divided. In 
182 1 the rest of the pews were also divided, Washington's pew 
among the number. The latter was restored to its former shape in 
1837; was again altered, however though soon a second time re- 
stored. In 1 8 1 6 the bell was purchased at a cost of $538.87. In 
1 8 17 some one was found sacrilegious enough to propose to remove 
the Church out of the way to let Cameron street go by ! And the 
Vestry consented, provided the city would build another, on the same 
lot, in all respects alike ! In 18 18 the steeple was erected, and in 
the same year Captain James Croudhill presented the baptismal 
font — the same, I believe, now in use. In 1820 the venerable 
Washington Society received permission to hold its anniversary 
meeting, on the 22nd of February, in Christ Church. The same 
year the Convention of the Diocese of Virginia met in this Church. 
In 1 82 1 the parsonage on Washington street was conveyed to the 
Church, in part payment for the glebe land sold to Walter Jones. 
In 1834 the Vestry Room under the tower was built. In 1837 a 
new Communion Table was procured, and in 1840 a new organ. 
In 1853 the Church was lighted with gas, the pews all altered, the 
floor raised six inches, and the porch at the southwest entrance con 
structed. In 1854 the new Lecture Room was built ; ( the old one 
stood on Washington street, north of the engine house). In 1856 
lightning rods were affixed to the Church. In 1867 the present 
Lectern and Communion Table were placed in the Chancel. In 
1870 the twin tablets to the memory of George Washington and 
Robert Edward Lee were inserted in the eastern wall. 

But to return to our notices of the Pastors of this Church. Rev. 
Mr. Gibson succeeded Mr. Davis in July, 1807. His ministrations 
at first were very popular, but some misunderstanding arising, he 
precipitately resigned in November, 1809. The Vestry promptly 
accepted his resignation ; but there was a difference of sentiment 
between the Vestry and a portion of the congregation on this subject, 
which resulted in the formation of St. Paul's Church, with Rev. Mr. 
Gibson as Rector.* We are happy in being able to add that, like 
the dispute between Paul and Barnabas when they parted company 
on the question about John Mark, this division in the congregation 
has turned out for the furtherance of the Gospel, so that to-day we 
behold two Churches with congregations each much more numerous 
than the original one. 

The humiliating history of the Rev. Mr. Barclay, who ministered 



*The structure in which that congregation now worships is of more modern date. 



20 OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 

here from March, 1810, till April, 181 1, need not be touched upon 
here. 

Here let me pause for a moment to remark upon the condition of 
religion in the Parish at this period. It was very sad. The infi- 
delity of the French philosophers, introduced during the war, had 
been only too successfully propagated since, The worldliness of 
several of the Pastors of the Church had not only brought religion 
into contempt in the eyes of non-professors, but had produced its 
pernicious though natural fruit among the members of the Church. 

But the dawn of a better day was at hand — the old Church was 
to emerge out of her darkness, and the glory of the Lord was to rise 
upon her. He who walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks 
and holds the stars in His right hand was about to send to this 
Parish a man after His own heart, an ambassador of Christ, whose 
credentials were as clear as his message was authoritative ; and he 
too but the first of a bright constellation of stars which were to rise, 
one by one, to shed upon the congregations of this Church the light 
which their souls had reflected from the "Sun of Righteousness." 

It was the year 181 1, when, in response to the urgent appeal of 
the Vestry, William Meade became the Rector of this Church. 
We must dismiss from our minds, however, the figure of the vener- 
able Bishop, as most of us remember him, and summon imagination 
to our aid, if we would picture to ourselves the William Meade 
whom God graciously sent to this Church sixty-two years ago. We 
must place before our mind's eye a beardless youth, scarce one-and 
twenty, clad in a homespun suit, and proclaiming the Gospel of a 
crucified Redeemer in a voice whose silvery tones at once commanded 
attention, and with a simplicity of diction and earnestness of manner 
which rarely failed to impress his hearers. 

"No studied eloquence was there displayed, 
Nor poetry of language lent its aid, 
But plain the words that from the preacher came ; 
— A preacher young and all unknown to fame, 
While youth and age a list'ning ear inclined, 
To learn the way the pearl of price to find." 

The man, the theme and the manner of delivery were all new to 
the people. The Church became thronged with large and attentive 
congregations. The fame of the youthful preacher from the moun- 
tains of Virginia reached the Capitol yonder, and a goodly number 
of the Members of Congress and other distinguished men were 
attracted to hear him. They came to hear Mr. Meade, but they, 
were disappointed in that — they heard Christ, the power of God 
and the wisdom of God, Yes, within these venerable walls the gifted 
and brilliant John Randolph, of Roanoke, listened repeatedly to the 
message of redemption, "The old, old story of Jesus and His love," 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 21 

simply, clearly, earnestly told ! That faithful testimony, my breth- 
ren, was not without its effect. The great politician trembled before 
the youthful preacher. Several years afterwards he wrote a letter j 
to Mr. Meade, in which the following language occurs : " Give me 
your prayers; I have a most earnest desire for a more perfect faith 
than I fear I possess. What shall I do to be saved! . . Lord be 
merciful to me a sinner! . . When I reflect on the corruptions of 
my nature I tremble whilst I adore. The merits of an all atoning 
Saviour I hardly dare plead. Help, Lord, or I perish! . . Your 
afflicted friend, John Randolph, of Roanoke." 

Here, too, James Milnor, then M. C. from Philadelphia, sat and 
heard the constraining love of Christ set forth, at the very crisis 
when the great question of life was trembling in the balance. Who 
can help indulging the thought that the voice of William Meade 
was God's chosen instrument for calling this future leader of the 
armies of Israel from the service of the world to the service of 
Christ and His Church! 

In eighteen months Mr. Meade felt it imperative upon him to 
terminate his ministry in Alexandria. He induced the Vestry to 
choose as his successor his intimate and beloved friend, Rev. Oliver 
Norris, of the Diocese of Maryland. His ministry continued for 
the space of twelve years, beginning on the 1st of July, 18 13, and j 
terminating only with his life in the month of August, 1825. Before 
speaking of his character as a man and a minister, let me briefly 
advert to several events which signalized his Pastorate. It was in 
the first year of his labors that this sacred building was first called 
"Christ Church;" (the name appears in an order directing the 
Communion Service to be so marked)", so that Mr. Norris was in 
strictness the first minister of Christ Church.* 

The next year, 18 14, on the 9th day of June, the Church was 
solemnly consecrated by Bishop Claggett of Maryland, under the 
style and title of "Christ Church;" and no doubt it was done in 
due form and with all possible solemnity, for the Bishop was a man 
of gigantic stature, and possessed of a voice proportionate to his 
size, and it was his custom to proceed solemnly to the Church, in 
his robes of office and wearing his mitre ! The first Confirmation at 
Christ Church, of which we find any record, was performed by 
Bishop Moore, on the 12th day of June 18 14, when twenty-nine 
persons consecrated themselves to the service of God in that rite. 
The original certificate of this Episcopal act, with the Bishop's 
signature, is preserved among the archives of the Parish. These 



*In a paper dated March, 1813 — a list of persons belonging to this Church, but 
confirmed in St. Paul's — it is called the "Old Episcopal Church." 



22 OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 

persons were the first fruits of Mr. Norris' ministry. The number 
is the more significant when it is added that forty-three persons 
belonging to Christ Church had been confirmed the previous year 
in St. Paul's Church — these the fruits of Mr. Meade's labors. This 
Confirmation is of interest from another point of view. It was in 
all probability Bishop Moore's first official act as Bishop of Virginia. 

In 1 84 1 the Convention met in this Church, Bishop Moore pre- 
siding. It was the last Convention he ever attended. Before the 
next spring the Diocese was mourning her faithful father. Does it 
not impart additional sanctity to this venerable House of Prayer 
that it should be thus intimately associated with the commence- 
ment and the close of the Episcopate of that truly venerable and 
apostolic man, the St. John of the American Church ? 

But to return. We have said that Mr. Norris labored twelve 
years in this Parish. They were years of blessing and of peace to 
the favored people who enjoyed his ministrations. Faithfully and 
affectionately he warned and exhorted his congregation from the 
pulpit. Of him it might be said: 

" He bore his great commission in his look, 
But sweetly tempered awe, and softened all he spoke, 
Letting down the golden chain from high, 
He drew his audience upward to the sky." 

" My brethren," said Mr. Meade, in his funeral sermon, "a man 
of God, a minister of Jesus Christ has been amongst you!" And 
what were the themes on which he delighted to dwell? The same 
high authority declares, "The precious Saviour was the constant 
theme of his preaching, his chief delight while living, and sweet 
consolation when dying. 4 None but Jesus!' 4 None but Jesus!' 
were almost his dying words." 

But it was chiefly as a Pastor that Mr. Norris excelled. Like 
his adorable Redeemer, the Chief Shepherd of the flock, he called 
his own sheep by name and they knew his voice. And lovingly and 
tenderly did he lead them in the paths of righteousness. Quick was 
his sympathetic heart to respond alike to their joys and their sorrows. 
" In all their affliction he was afflicted," he wept with them when 
they wept and rejoiced with them when they rejoiced. He taught 
them not only publicly, but from house to house, warning every man 
and entreating every man ; he took heed to all the flock over which 
the Holy Ghost had made him an overseer, and shunned not to 
declare to the living and the dying all the Counsel of God. 

My venerable brother, who is with us to night and will presently 
address you, will permit me to quote the account given by him of 
Mr. Norris' last moments: Some of the scenes around his death- 
bed were very touching. Mr. Wilmer administered to him the 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 



*3 



Holy Communion, and when one of the comnunicants rose from his 
knees, during* the service, to readjust Mr. Norris' uneasy posture 
in bed, the old Pastor gently repulsed him, saying with fervor, 
Tray!' Tray!' Before he died the bell of old Christ Church rang 
for service. Mr. Norris recognizing its familiar tones, said to the 
attendants around his bed, 'Go to Church!' 'Go to Church !' and 
soon after he closed his eyes and went himself to the Church of the 
first-born in Heaven." 

His funeral sermon was preached in this place, on the 1 8th of 
September, 1825, by Mr. Meade. It was published by the Vestry, 
and may still be consulted by those who would know more of the 
life and character of that saintly man. A more loving tribute was 
never laid upon the Altar of Christian Friendship. 

The Vestry were now called on to make choice of a successor to 
Mr. Norris. But where should they look for one who could fill the 
place of such a man of God as he whom they had lost? God gra- 
ciously directed their minds, and their choice fell on Dr. Reuel 
Keith, Professor of Systematic Divinity in the recently established 
Seminary. I will not dwarf the genius, learning and piety of this 
remarkable man by attempting his euolgy here. A character so 
exalted — a mind so massive — a life work so great as his, are not to 
be crowded into the corner of a picture such as that which I am 
seeking to present to-night. They should rather be the subject of 
a distinct portrait, the execution of which should be entrusted to a 
more skillful hand than mine. Let me borrow the words of one who 
knew him well, and appreciated him thoroughly: 'T seem to see 
now his tall and stooping figure, his piercing eye, his noble forehead, 
a 'dome of thought,' and to hear again his silvery voice. Who that 
ever heard him pray our service or lead in social family prayer, can 
ever forget his reverence like that of the seraphim who veil their 
faces as they bow before the holy majesty of Heaven ? The clothing 
of humility covered him as it did no other man I ever knew. Of 
all those bidden to the feast he took the lowest room as that which 
best befitted him, for he felt that he was less than the least of all 
saints. His intense earnestness was that of a soul fired with the 
glory of the Gospel." 

To this testimony of Dr. Packard would that I could add the 
testimony of this venerable Temple itself! If these walls could 
speak what emphatic and glorious witness might they bear to the 
"wisdom and the Spirit" with which he was wont to deliver his 
message from the King of Kings! If we could wake the echoes of 
those solemn tones of his, warning sinners to flee from the wrath to 
come, and unfolding to the penitent the riches of God's free grace 
in Christ Jesus, how would this assembly be solemnized ! How 



24 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 



would every sound be hushed while the Ambassador of the Most 
High besought men to be reconciled to God ! We might witness 
such a scene as that which once took place here, when after a sermon 
of great persuasiveness and power from Dr. Keith, fifty persons in the 
congregation, being pricked in their hearts, came forward at the 
conclusion of the service and asked with all the earnestness of the 
Philippian of old, "What must I do to be saved?" 

Surely such a man as Reuel Keith rose in vision before the 
Christian poet when he wrote : 

"There stands the Messenger of Truth ; there stands 
The Legate of the Skies : His theme divine, 
His office sacred, his credentials clear ! 
By him the violated Law speaks out 
Its thunders ; and by him, in strains as sweet 
As angels use, the Gospel whispers peace, 
He stablishes the strong, restores the weak, 
Reclaims the wanderer, binds the broken heart, 
And armed himself in panoply complete, 
Of heavenly temper, furnishes with armor. 
Bright as his own ; and trains, by every rule 
Of holy discipline, to glorious war, 
The Sacramental host of God's elect." 

Dr. Keith* was succeeded, in 1828, by Rev. George Griswold, 
who had acted as assistant to his predecessor for several months. 
He was a worthy son of the saintly and apostolic Bishop Griswold. 
If we may judge of his preaching by a sermon from his pen pub- 
lished in "The Prostestant Episcopal Pulpit," January, 1832, we 
may confidently assign him a high rank, both for ability and earn- 
estness. The sermon is on Idolatry. It concludes with the follow- 
ing passage : " We recoil from an open idolater as from one whose 
breath is pestilential, as from one who is smitten with a judicial 
curse. * * * * * * But take the principal now developed 
home to your own bosoms ; let this candle of the Lord search the 
deep places of your souls and bring to light the hidden causes which 
have withdrawn your allegiance from the living God — then let him 
that is without sin among us cast the first stone at the benighted 
inhabitants of India. Happy is the man who can sincerely lay his 
hand upon his heart and say there is nothing which stands between 
it and his maker. Blessed is the man who has kept himself from 
idols. That this blessing may be ours, God mercifully grant, 
through Jesus Christ. Amen." 

Mr. Griswold was highly esteemed and much beloved by the con- 
gregation, but, in consequence of ill health, he resigned in the 
month of June, 1829, went to the West Indies, and soon after died. 



*Dr. Keith was elected November, 1825. In August, 1827, he resigned. The 
Vestry after ineffectual efforts to secure the services of Mr Johns, of Maryland, and 
Mr. Cobbs, of Virginia, re-elected Dr. Keith, in the following November, giving 
him the services of an assistant. He found it incompatible, however, to combine the 
duties of a Parish minister with those of a Professor, and again resigned in July, 1828. 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 25 

After an ineffectual effort to secure the services of Rev. George 
Boyd, the Vestry invited Rev. John P. McGuire to be their 
Rector. The ministry of this pious and estimable clergyman was 
providentially cut short a twelvemonth after it began ( September 
1830). His eye sight becoming seriously impaired, he was obliged 
to tender his resignation. In accepting it, the Vestry place upon 
record a testimonial of their regret at the dissolution of the tie 
between them, concluding as follows : " The Vestry cannot omit 
this occasion to express their affectionate respect and esteem for 
him, and to add that he leaves them with their sincere wishes for 
not only the future comfort and happiness of himself and his 
amiable family, but for his extensive usefulness in that holy vocation 
to which he has dedicated himself." 

The record of Dr. McGuire's labors in the cause of education, as 
principal of the Episcopal High School, need not be told here. It 
is written in the useful lives of many young men who enjoyed the 
benefit of his careful training and holy example, and who cherish 
his memory with something of the veneration with which the Rugby 
boys cherish the name of Dr. Arnold. 

Rev. Dr. Benjamin Cutler was now chosen, but declined. Choice 
was next made of Rev. Charles Mann. 

The ministry of this venerable and dear brother in this Parish is 
well remembered by some of you. In his absence I may be per- 
mitted to say that it was marked by a clear exposition of evangelical 
truth from the pulpit, and by unwavering fidelity and firmness in 
the discharge of Pastoral duty. He was not the man to count the 
cost when duty called. He still lives at the advanced age of four 
score and two years, in the active exercise of his ministry, in the 
neighboring county of Gloucester. He has lost the use of his lower 
limbs, but refusing to desert his post, he stands on his crutches and 
preaches the everlasting Gospel with undiminished power, and from 
the pulpit descends to the Table of the Lord and administers the 
Holy Supper to his people. A few months since he took up his 
crutches and painfully made his way hither to look once more on 

1 this venerable Temple of praise, to climb once more yonder Hill of 
Beulah, and to unite with his younger brethren in the " Gloria in 

\ Excelsis" as he witnessed and heard what God had wrought for 
that school of the prophets. It was my first meeting with the ven- 
erable man, but my whole soul went out to him, when he told me 
that during all the forty years which have rolled by since his minis- 
try terminated here, he had never a single day omitted to pray that 
God's blessing might rest upon the Pastor and people of old Christ 
Church. We had looped to have him unite with us in these services, 
but he could not undertake the journey. 



26 OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 

His ministry here extended from November, 1830 to February, 
1834. It was in part contemporaneous with the ministry of Rev. 
William Jackson, in St. Paul's Church. The preaching of these two 
faithful men was instrumental in bringing about a considerable re- 
vival of religion and several large Confirmations were held in both 
Churches. One who was present writes : " I remember at one of 
these Confirmations, at night, when Dr. Cutler, then Rector of the 
Church in Leesburg was present, the Chancel was surrounded by, 
mostly, young ladies, all in white, but among them came up an aged 
black man, in his shirt sleeves, but clean and neat, his black skin 
shining through the large holes. The scene made a deep impression 
on all who witnessed it." 

But I must hasten to bring this record to a close. But one more 
name is wanting to complete the necrology of the Pastors of this 
Church. It is the name of one who was perhaps, of all others, most 
completely identified with this building and the congregation that 
worshipped here. There have been seventeen Rectors within the 
century, but his ministry covered more than twenty-six years. He 
was ordained expressly for this Church, and truly for this Church 
he lived. " Beyond his highest joy he prized her heavenly ways/' 
To its services were given the best energies of his life. He went in 
and out among this people, sharing their joys and their sorrows, 
ministering to the poor and the sick, comforting the mourner, en- 
couraging the dying, committing the dead to the tomb, until his 
presence became associated with the most sacred ties and the tend- 
erest memories of every household in the Parish, and thus he gained 
for himself that peculiar place in their hearts which is reserved for 
the long tried Pastor, which the mere preacher can never approach, 
and which even the faithful Pastor cannot appropriate, save after the 
lapse of many years spent with one people. But words of mine are 
superfluous as they must be inadequate to depict Mr. Dana's char- 
acter or to estimate his work in this place. Of those long since de- 
parted, and known only through the written records of the past, I 
may speak of some hope of edifying you, but of Mr. Dana I can hope 
to say nothing which can give you a juster idea of the man than you 
already possess. He has traced his own character before this com- 
munity by his life. What then can the words of a stranger add to 
the portraiture ? Is there not greater probability that they will mar 
by misconception or by disproportion? This much, however, I will 
say, that in the very slight intercourse which it was my privilege to 
hold with Mr. Dana, I was strongly impressed with his singular hu- 
mility. That rare grace had evidently taken deep root in his heart, 
and the manifestation of it which I witnessed was very beautiful in- 
deed. 

As I review his work in this Parish I may appropriately address 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 27 
to you the words of Mrs. Sigourney 

"He in the heavenward path hath firmly walked, 
Bearing your joys and sorrows in his breast 
And on his prayers. He at your household hearths 
Hath spoke his Master's message ; while your babes 
Listening imbibed, as blossoms drink the dew ; 
And when your dead were buried from your sight 
Was he not there? 

In 1 861 Dr. Dana was called to Port Gibson, Mississippi, where 
he continued six years, and then removed to Trinity Church, Nat- 
chez, in which place he remained till his death, in February last. 
He carried into these Parishes the same amiable and sterling quali- 
ties, as a man and a minister, which made him so beloved in this con- 
i gregation. The testimonial prepared by the Vestry of the latter 
Church was a most loving tribute to his memory and his worth, and 
evinces a very cordial appreciation of his services To the last, how- 
ever, old Christ Church held its place in his heart. Almost his dying 
breath was spent in blessings upon it and upon the people he had 
I loved and served so long and so well. On the 26th of February, 
! 1873, just after the clock had ushered in Ash Wednesday, he en- 
tered into rest, thus appropriately closing his life on the last day of 
the hundreth year of this venerable Church, to whose service the 
best part of that life had been given. 

I need not remind you that this Church was draped in mourning 
and a memorial service held as soon as the sad intelligence reached 
us. 

The rest of my story is soon told. On the 22nd of October, i860, 
Rev. Cornelius Walker, D. D., was chosen Rector, and continued 
to hold the position, de jure, till the month of June, 1866, when he 
j resigned. His actual ministry extended only to the time of the oc- 
j cupation of Alexandria by the Federal troops, in May, 1861, when, 
I with many of his flock, he removed within the Confederate lines. 
! During the war the military authorities first borrowed, and after- 
wards forcibly held, the Church, which was finally restored to the 
lawful Vestry on the 2nd of June, 1866. 

In August of that year, Rev. A. M. Randolph was chosen its 
i minister. On the 4th of September, 1867, he resigned, to enter up- 
on a new and enlarged sphere of usefulness. (Now Assistant Bishop 
I of Virginia.) If I say nothing more of the ministry and character 
I of these two brethren, it is not because there is not much that might 
j be said. 

On the 24th of November, 1867, the present Rector assumed 
charge of the congregation. 

And now, dear brethren, having taxed your patience so long, I 
must brin^ this sketch to a close. I do so with an unaffected sense 



28 OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 

of its imperfection, and with a conviction, stronger than ever, how 
vain it is to attempt, in one fleeting hour, to tell the story of a cen- 
tury. Much has, of necessity, been left untold. I should like to 
have dwelt upon the virtures of the patriots of the first Revolution, 
chiefly of him whose name outshines them all on the roll of fame. 
I should like to have held up for the emulation of the young men 
of our time his filial piety, his detestation of profanity and vice of 
every kind, his reverence for the Sabbath, his unquestioning faith in 
the Christian religion, and his active efforts for its promotion. 

Fain, too, would I have traced the connection of another great 
name with this Church — a name which the future historian will write 
side by side with that of Washington, as you have placed their mon- 
umental marbles here — the name of a man, who for purity of purpose, 
nobility of soul, and su,blimity of Christian resignation, stands al- 
most without a peer in our history. Yes, I should liked to have 
spoken of the days when Robert Lee was one of the boys who 
helped to bring the evergreens to beautify this Sanctuary at the 
Christmas season, when he was wont to sit beside his wife and mo- 
ther, in this Sacred Place, a reverent listener to the preaching of that 
man of God, Oliver Norris. 

Fain, too, would I have depicted that impressive scene which 
these ancient walls beheld when, in the summer of 1853, Col. Rob- 
ert Lee dedicated to God a life already glorious, and in the rite of 
Confirmation renewed his baptismal covenant to be Christ's faithful 
soldier and servant to his life's end. 

And other scenes I should have taken delight in depicting : — the 
sacred seasons of ordination which, on every alternate year from the 
foundation of the Seminary till the year 1855, took place here, when 
these walls resounded with the voices of those apostolic men, Gris- 
wold, and Moore, and Meade, and Bedell; when young men, strong 
and brave, and full of hope, here received authority to go forth as 
heralds of the Cross wherever the Lord their God should call them. 

Ay! brethren, what holy vows have been here breathed to Heav- 
en by this long line of consecrated men, crying, Here am I, send 
me ! " What fervent prayers for divine direction have ascended from 
those pews which you now occupy ! What tears of conscious weak- 
ness have bedewed this Chancel rail, as the great commission has 
been given to those who knelt to receive it ! 

From this spot, if we mistake not, Dudley A. Tyng and Charles I 
Howard went forth to "stand up for Jesus," till they were cut down 
in the forefront of the fight! Here James Chisholm, meek and un- 
assuming, went forth to stand unappalled amid the horrors of the 
pestilence, and to die at last a hero and a martyr at his post! 



OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 29 

From hence, too, went forth that noble band of Missionaries whose 

I names are consecrated in the loving memory of the Church. Here 
Savage, and Minor, and Payne, and Henning, and Colden Hoff- 
man took up the banner of the Cross, that they might carry it across 

1 the seas and plant it in faith and hope upon the pestilential shores 
of Africa ! At this Chancel knelt Cleveland Keith and received 
the great commission to preach the Gospel to every creature ; and 
from it he rose and went far over the seas to the distant shores of 
China, that he might join the little band of heroes battling there in 
the sublime resolve to win that ancient land with all its unnumbered 
myriads to the service of Immanuel, their King ! Nor can we keep 
back the thought that here, in this sacred spot, where the saintly 
father had so often stood, clothed with unction from above, in the 
exercise of his high office, his son may have received a double por- 
tion of the spirit of Christian self-sacrifice. Present and prominent 
it was throughout all his life, but its most glorious manifestation was 

I seen on the burning decks of the " Golden Rule," when the young 
missionary gave up his place in the life-boat to another, and spent 

j his latest breath amid the horrors of that apalling scene, in exhort- 
ing his fellow-passengers to seek safety in the Rock of Ages.* 

A Church which can claim such memories as these is thrice con- 
secrated. And a people which calls that Church their own is laid 
under a grave responsibility to preserve inviolate the principles 
which that noble army of saints and martyrs have professed. 

God grant that this Church and congregation may continue stead- 
; fast in those views of saving truth and those principles of holy living 
which have here so often been faithfully expounded and nobly ex- 
emplified ! 

Identified, through Dr. Griffith and Bishop Meade, with the 
resurrection of the Church in Virginia, from the deadness of the 
past century and the early part of this, may the time never come 
when worldliness and spiritual torpor shall settle themselves within 
these sacred walls ! 

Identified with the establishment of yonder School of the Prophets, 



*At the time this address was delivered the writer was not aware that the old Church 
I could claim, as one of her daughters, that devoted woman, Miss Fay, of the China 
I Mission, who has spent twenty-six years of her life in self-denying labors in that 
distant and difficult field. He gladly now avails himself of the opportunity of adding 
this additional star to the constellation of the worthies of Christ Church. She will 
pardon the liberty taken in appending an extract from a private letter of her's which 
chanced to fall under the writer's. eye : "My first idea of going to China was gained 

in Christ Church I have never been so much attached to any place in my life as 

to Christ Church, Alexandria. For years T used to sigh for that dear old Church, 
which seemed to me the very gate of Heaven." Though ill and aged, Miss Fay still 
directs the successful schools connected with our Mission in China. 



3 o OLD CHRIST CHURCH. 



through the labors of Dr. Keith and Mr. Norris, two of its first pro- 
fessors, may the time never come when other than Protestant and 
Evangelical principles shall underlie the teaching which is heard 
in this pulpit, or be reflected in the worship which these walls shall 
witness ! 

Then, indeed, brethren, shall "peace be within her walls !" Then 
shall "she still bring forth fruit in her old age," and your children's 
children as they look back on the second century of this ancient pile 
and "Remember all the way which the Lord their God hath led 
them," shall inscribe on these walls the second time, " Hitherto 

HATH THE LORD HELP US !" 



Thus ended the Rev. R. H. McKim, recounting to assembled 
hundreds, the story of old Christ Church. 

Since his resignation in 1875, to take charge of a much larger 
field in Harlem, N. Y., two rectors have followed — the Rev. Wm. 
M. Dame, and the Rev. Henderson Suter. The Rev. Mr. Dame 
after a ministry of about three years resigned to accept a call to 

I Memorial Church, Baltimore. Under Mr. Dame's ministry, the 
present brick wall was put around the Church Yard, due largely to 

j his efforts. The Lecture Room as it now stands is due to the efforts 
of the Rev. Mr. McKim, and the present handsome Rectory was 

: built while he was here. 

The present Rector the Rev. Henderson Suter took charge of 
the Parish on the 15th of September, 1878. Since his coming, a 
slate roof has been put upon the Church building and a new ceil- 
nig within it, besides other improvements. 

At the date of this writing March 16th, 1886, a new organ, is in 
process of erection to supplant the old one put up in 1840. 

Thus ends the history of Christ Church, Alexandria, Va., up to 
the year 1886. Its inner life, manifested in the good deeds of its 
devoted people, asks no record here. 




Press of Robt. Bell' 



Sons, Alexandria, Va. 



